


Hopper's kids

by unoun



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23343487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unoun/pseuds/unoun
Summary: James Hopper was El's dad, that's true. But this big softie is also the dad of the party. Here a series of one-shot with Hopper dealing with the all party.The story begins some time after the end of season 2. I don't take into account what happens in season 3 but I decided to integrate Robin into the story (she's great).Joooooopper !!!!
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Jim "Chief" Hopper & The Party, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair
Comments: 8
Kudos: 62





	1. Hopper & El

**Author's Note:**

> Small notes before reading: I'm a big fan of Hopper's character, and everyone knows that he is the only father figure for all this kids ... Steve is their babysitter, okay?  
> Oh, and english is not my first language, so apologies if there are any mistakes... Enjoy!

Hopper and El. 

A year after the Snow Ball Dance, everything was back to normal. No more monster, no more demogorgon, no more Upside Down.  
The Hawkins' chief of police, James Hopper, had become El's father, or at least Jane's, to the rest of the population. And for the past year, Hopper had done everything to become a father again; he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since, hadn't taken his medication again, limited his cigarette consumption (El had read an article on the danger of cigarettes), ate much healthier, for his own good and of course for El's ... he had even taken up gym again!  
In short, he had become the model and loving father he had once been to Sarah. 

El had recently joined Hawkins Middle School and Hopper had decided it was time for El to have a normal life. She had a hard time getting used to the school, the concept of being with other kids, the concept of homework... but having Mike, Max, Will, Lucas and Dustin in her class had cheered her up. And even though El wasn't quite the best in her class today, she was trying very hard. She was finally a normal young teenager, and that's what she wanted more than anything.  
For Hopper, however, one thing overshadowed their little family life... living in a cabin in the middle of the woods. Even though he could see that El was finally happy at school, with her friends, in a somewhat rustic room, he had to do something about it. It wasn't easy to live here, far enough away from the center of Hawkins, far enough away from El's school, and especially far away from his friends' homes. Even though Nancy insisted it was pretty, Hopper wanted the best for his adopted daughter. 

"Dad, where are you taking me?" El was sitting next to Hopper in his car. It was Sunday, 10 am. Why did Hop wake her up on her day off so early for a surprise?  
"El, I told you it was a surprise. And I know you're gonna love it. We're almost there," Hopper replied with a smile on his lips as he glanced at his daughter who was slumped against the door.  
El recognized where Hopper had taken them. They were not far from Mike and Lucas' house in the suburbs of Hawkins. Dustin didn't live too far away either, as did Max.  
"We're on the street from Mike's house. Mike's mom invited us to lunch? "Said El, looking suspiciously at her dad. El knew that Hop was happy to know that she had very close and devoted friends, but the young boy was much too close for his liking.  
Hopper laughed and shook his head. He stopped the car in front of a beautiful house. He turned off the engine and turned to El who had her nose glued to the window. This house is beautiful, prettier than Mike's, the teenager thought. 

"I wanted to surprise you El. See that house there? "El looked at his father, not quite understanding what he was getting at. "This is our home now." He said, happily pointing to a bunch of keys. The girl couldn't believe her eyes. "Home again?" "Yeah, our new home," says Hopper. She smiled and jumped at Hop's neck.  
With tears in his eyes for the father and tears flowing for the daughter, Hop took El's hand and crossed the small courtyard that led to the porch of the house. He entered and showed his daughter around: on the ground floor, entrance hall, large living room on the left, kitchen on the right, a staircase that led to the first floor, a parental bedroom and bathroom behind, upstairs, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a basement where El was already imagining herself doing D&D campaigns with her friends ... And finally, a terrace, a backyard and trees that heralded the colour of the beautiful summer days.  
El kept exclaiming in each new room, Hopper had given her the choice to choose her room: "I could invite the whole party at once", or "Mike can come more often" which made Hopper smile. As soon as they came down the stairs, El threw himself around Hop's neck and thanked him again and again. 

The two Hopper family members were moving into their new home the following week and everyone had come to help them. Jonathan and Steve helped Hop lift the furniture and boxes, Joyce told them where to put them, with the help of Robin and Nancy. As for the young teenagers, after packing the boxes in El's room, they now unpacked them in her new room. They had all brought a little gift to decorate it.

With all these people, by the end of the day, the move-in was over. Hopper had invited them all over for pizza to thank them. 

At the end of the evening, the 6 young people were arguing over the new console that Hopper had bought for El earlier, and the 4 young adults finished the pizzas while talking. Hopper and Joyce were outside on the backyard porch sharing a cigarette. Or at least, for Joyce. A bond had developed between them, a strange family had been born since Will's disappearance. 

After thanking them again, everyone had gone home, tired but happy. El, before going to bed, found Hopper in his room packing up his things.  
"Thank you, Dad. Thank you for everything," she said simply as she kissed his unshaven cheek. El walked back to her room, her eyes closing on their own as Hopper's heart swelled up. 

He never thought he would be able to relive the love that had been cruelly taken from him a few years earlier, and he congratulated himself on his decision to take El home.


	2. Hopper & Max

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small notes before reading: I'm a big fan of Hopper's character, and everyone knows that he is the only father figure for all this kids ... Steve is their babysitter, okay?
> 
> Oh, and english is not my first language, so apologies if there are any mistakes... Enjoy!

Hopper and Max. 

Hopper had noticed his daughter's best friend acting a little strange. He didn't mind her often showing up for dinner at night, or even giving her a place to sleep, often without knowing that he was going to have company, far from it. El was almost surrounded by boys, now she finally had a best friend who was a girl her age. So he was very happy to hear his daughter laughing out loud, to have a feminine friendship worthy of the name with this young redhead. And Max was a badass, just like El. They were a good pair. Hopper, on the other hand, had a very good understanding of what was going on at the redheaded girl's house...

One rainy evening around 10 pm, while El was at Joyce's house, he heard the doorbell ringing. Intrigued, he got up from his armchair and went to open his door to discover a Max who was shaking from head to toe, with a soaked coat and a simple backpack on her shoulder.  
"Hi Hop, is El there?" she asked simply, still with that determined look on her face.  
"Hi Max... no, El is at Joyce's. What's going on?" Max left apologizing for disturbing him at this late hour. So Hop held her elbow and forced her to come home. He was worried; it was very late that Friday night, Max was not in a good state. She was out late when it was raining. If she stayed out in this weather, she could get sick. The young teenager didn't want to disturb, but Hopper persuaded her to come home. She took off her shoes and sat down in the living room.  
Hop brought her a towel to dry off and made her a hot chocolate. He returned to his chair and waited for the girl to speak. 

Max mugged her cup. She wasn't wet anymore, thanks to the towel and the crackling fire.  
"Thanks for the chocolate Hop, I'm leaving now”. She said as she began to get up.  
"Max, please," Hopper said, staring at Max. The girl took a deep breath and settled back into a more comfortable position.  
"I don't want to disturb, and El isn't here..." said Max, not daring to look him in the eye.  
"Max, I may be El's father, but I'm also the chief of police... which means that I'm here for you."  
"I... well... I... I..." Max didn't dare to talk, and he certainly didn't know where to start.  
Hop took the lead:  
"Look, I'm not forcing you to do anything. If you don't want to talk about it, that's up to you. But I'm here to help you. I don't know what's going on, but you won't get out of this house at this hour. You'll sleep in El's room, if that's okay for you?"Hopper answered, getting up and smiling at her. The girl hesitated and then finally nodded. 

She followed Hop who showed her the necessities in the bathroom and stayed in front of her best friend's bedroom door. Max was at his side, this time fiddling with her backpack.  
"Do you have everything you need? Otherwise, I think El will have no problem lending you these clothes..." Hopper smiles. Max looked up and smiled.  
"Do you want me to call your parents and let them know that you're staying here tonight?" Hopper said, knowing full well that this sentence would be the trigger. And he was right, as Max exclaimed and almost begged him not to.  
"Don't worry, Max, I would never do anything you don't want me to do," he reassured her. The young redhead breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to El's bed. 

"Max, no matter what happens, I'm here for you. You're El's best friend, but it's my job to protect people ... You can talk to me anytime you want," Hopper said as he stood in the doorway. Max looked at him with tears in her eyes. It was rare to see the girl in such a state, she was the first to be in a good mood, bringing joy to life, competitive, determined... Hopper's heart was torn at the sight. Max put her bag on the floor and sat down on El's bed. 

"It's not easy at home... I like coming here... At least you and El took care of me... Thanks again, Hop, for everything”.  
She smiled at him and Hop wished her a good night, which she answered within a second. He closed the door and decided to go to bed. 

That morning, Hop got up around 9 am, ready to go and make himself a coffee. When he arrived in his kitchen, a hot cup and a word were waiting for him: Thank you, Hop. MadMax. 

He smiled and said to himself that he couldn't do anything for the young redhead until she spoke to him. But in the meantime, he could always offer her a roof over her head, at any time of the day or night.


	3. Hopper & Dustin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small notes before reading: I'm a big fan of Hopper's character, and everyone knows that he is the only father figure for all this kids ... Steve is their babysitter, okay?
> 
> Oh, and english is not my first language, so apologies if there are any mistakes... Enjoy!

Hopper and Dustin

It was a Saturday, and Hopper was on call that weekend. El had to spend the day with the boys and then spend the night at Joyce's, just like every night Hopper worked late or was on call.   
In his Hawkins Police pickup, he was patrolling the city; nothing was going on, but he had to do his job. I mean, nothing was going on... except for the supernatural and the paranormal things. 

In the early afternoon, as he was standing on the corner of the main street, he saw Dustin sitting on the curb with his cap down, his bike beside him, looking down at the ground. He was surprised to see the young boy alone here when he was supposed to be with the others. It wasn't normal to see Dustin alone on the side of the road in the middle of the afternoon. So Hopper was worried. Without waiting any longer, he pulled over to the first available spot and ran off to join the young boy.   
Everybody loved the young teenager, always in a good mood and above all very funny. Many times, when they were all at Joyce's house and he was supposed to meet them in the evening after work, Dustin was always the first to greet him, when El or Joyce didn't see him, singing or imitating the basketball players' entrance for instance. 

"Hi, Dustin! What are you doing all by yourself?"Asked Hop as he approached.   
"Oh Chief ... nothing I've been having a little trouble," the boy replied simply by standing up and smiling. Hop stooped down to his level immediately worried.   
"Nothing serious I hope, what's going on? Aren't you with the others?" Yes, Hopper was worried.   
"Yes, yes, I was supposed to join them after I ran an errand for my mother, but Troy's gang arrived, and they took the cake I was supposed to bring her ..." the boy replied simply.   
"Oh, I see...". Dustin looked at him, and Hopper quickly understood the situation.  
"I'm in trouble... I don't know what to do."  
"I guess your mom probably won't believe you if you tell her that story." That's easy for the Chief to deduce. Dustin nodded, still smiling. The Chief really adored the young boy, intelligent, funny, and he had an irresistible charm, toothless and curly hair.   
'That's why I'm thinking. But that's okay, Chief, I'll just make her think I fell down on the way back, or something..." Dustin started riding his bike back.   
But Hopper decided to help the kid; how many times did Dustin make El smile when she wasn't feeling well? How many times did he open the door for the young teenager who had his arms full of games, comic books, etc. for his daughter?   
"How much did this cake cost?" said Hop. Dustin thanked the Chief and explained what his mother wanted. Hopper put the bike in the back of his car and walked with the curly-haired boy to the bakery to pick up the same cake. 

Finally, 10 minutes later, Hopper and Dustin left the store with the cake for his mother and candy for the gang. Dustin got into his pickup with Hopper and they headed to the Hendersons'. Dustin hurried to give the cake to his mother and then left with Hopper on the way to Lucas' house, where the gang had ended up for today. 

On the way home, Dustin kept thanking Hopper and told him it was nothing and that he would do whatever was necessary for Troy and his friends. They were not at all kind to his daughter's friends, and even though El's arrival in the band of friends made them cold and annoyed them a little, they didn't stop hurting Dustin from time to time or insulting Lucas or Will.   
They arrived in front of Lucas' house. Hopper went at the back of his car to put Dustin's bike on the ground. The young teenager slammed the door and took his bike back.   
"Thanks again, Hop, you really are a Super Chief!" The boy cried out as he walked back to the front door. Before going back in, he waved his arm to the Chief one last time. Hopper waved his last hand and walked back to his pickup truck.


	4. Hopper & Jonathan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I've written about 15 chapters, but if you have any suggestions, let me know!   
> Thanks :)

Hopper and Jonathan. 

In the middle of the day, while Joyce was working at Melvald and Will was once again in the middle of a D&D campaign in Mike's basement, Jonathan had the pleasant surprise of hearing his doorbell. For once, when he wasn't with Nancy and had decided to study on his own, someone came to his house.  
When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Hopper in front of his door. He wasn't wearing his uniform, but flannel and jeans. 

"Hi, Hopper ... Mom's not here," Jonathan said, thinking he had come for his mother.  
"Hi Jon, yes I know. I'm not here for your mom, I'm here for you." Jonathan looked at him in disbelief. What does the chief want with me, Jonathan thought. He opened the door wide for him and led him in front of him.  
"Actually I'm coming because your mother has explained to me that there is something wrong with your car," Hop explained without even waiting for the door to close. "I thought I'd take a look at it today, is that okay with you? Jonathan looked at him in shock. He didn't know what to say.  
"That's nice, Hop. But, well, I told Mom I'd take care of it..." the young man replied.  
"Yes, I know. She told me a few days ago your car broke down. And I understand she's been working double shifts at Melvald's since then, just like you've been spending a lot of time at work. And I also know that you've got other things on your mind besides your car right now... you've got a degree and a college application to get ready for, right?" Hopper replied, putting his hand on his shoulder. Jonathan gave him the big eyes and was a little shocked by his proposal. 

Hopper spent a lot of time with the Byers. A lot of time. When he came to pick up El in the evening after work, he agreed more than once to have dinner with them, much to his mother's delight. Besides, he and El were more or less part of the family now, he saved his little brother's life after all. After Will's disappearance, Hopper had helped with works in their house, and even today, sometimes Hopper would come over to fix plumbing problems or even carpentry. Will saw Hopper as his hero, he was the chief of police, and most importantly, he got him out of the Upside Down. Will and El were happy to be together again, they understood each other, his mother spent time with Hopper, and she was happy. All that mattered to Jonathan was the happiness of his mother and brother, so he was happy too. He had seen them suffer so much with Lonnie that now Jonathan was suspicious of the men who came into their lives. Bob was nice... but something about Bob didn't feel right. But with Hopper... it made sense. He got a good look at the way his mother looked at Hopper. He saw how she waited for the dinners that Hop and El came to eat and spend time with them. He could see how sad his mother was when it was time for them to leave... More importantly, if he saw that in his mother, it was even more obvious with Hopper. So it was only natural that Jonathan thanked Hopper and took him to his car, which was parked not far from Hop's pickup. 

When Joyce arrived home after her working hours, she too had the pleasant surprise to recognize Hop's truck parked near her house. A stupid smile came on her lips at the thought of Hop's presence in her house and she rushed home. She was in such a hurry to get home that she didn't even notice her son and Hopper under the hood of Jon's car.  
"Hi Mom, we're here!" exclaimed her eldest, waving her arm. Joyce smiled and walked towards them.  
"Hi boys... Hop, you didn't have to do that..." she said as she put her bag by the car.  
Hopper got up and wiped his forehead. He drank a sip of water that Jonathan had brought him.  
"Joyce, it was my pleasure to help Jon, and I didn't plan to do anything today..." he smiled. Jonathan then explained to his mother that Hopper had come over to their house and decided to fix his car while Hop was making final adjustments to the car. Jonathan had a smile on his face, and his mother was amazed at her son's happiness.  
"Thank you, Hop," Joyce said simply, putting her hand on his forearm.  
"It's nothing Joyce, just a problem with the starter. And as I said, it was my pleasure," Hopper replied simply. Jonathan and Joyce thanked him one last time and offered to take him inside for coffee. Hopper declined as he had to run an errand for El and he left the Byers. 

Jonathan and Joyce watched him leave. "He fixed my car, Mom! And he asked me where I was going to go to college after high school, and of course, he told me about New York as he had spent part of his life there. He offered to take me there for a weekend to visit, to get my bearings. It could be a good family vacation, what do you think?" Jonathan asked his mother, elbowing her with a big smile on his lips. Joyce breathed and laughed at her son's attitude.


	5. Hopper & Steve and Robin

Hopper and Steve and Robin. 

One night, while Hopper was working late, El was supposed to go to the Byers' house, as always. However, Joyce did not feel very well, apparently, she was having the flu. So as Jonathan already took care of Will, Hopper did not want to send El to their house, and to be honest, she was not an easy-sick person. As Hopper was thinking of someone who could take care of El during that Friday night, he thought about one person, and why didn't he think of him sooner? 

"Hi Kid, sorry to disturb you ..." said Hopper as he was talking to him on the phone.   
"Hi Chief ... what is going on? Something is wrong with El?"   
Hopper said to himself that he thought about the right person.   
"No, don't worry, it's nothing serious. I was wondering if you were available tonight to watch El? I have to go to the station, but Joyce is sick."   
"Yep, sure, Chief. I was spending the night with Robin, but I can cancel it, it's no big deal. It's always a pleasure to keep El and do you a favor ..." replied the young adult.   
"Oh no, I don't want to disturb you guys," Hopper replied quickly.  
"But Chief, she'll understand, don't worry." Hopper thought quickly and replied:  
"Come with her too if you want?" Steve wasted no time and accepted the Chief's proposal.   
"Thanks a lot, Steve. You're the best babysitter in town. And if you think I'm going to give you back those magic cigarettes I got you last week, they're gone," Hopper said jokingly.   
"Thank you, Hop. But you're abusing your power and you know that..." Steve finally replied. He told him that he was leaving his home and going straight to the Hopper residence. 

As a matter of fact, last week, Steve had a little party with some old friends from high school. Of course, King Steve had made some noise, and Hopper had to step in.   
Steve found it hard to believe Jonathan when he told him that during high school, he and his mother were the first ones to party, while today Hopper was the one who was ruining his parties ...  
At that party, a guy he had known from high school brought a joint, which Hopper soon found out. Steve swore to him that he hadn't touched it and he would never do it. And Hopper believed him. Even though Steve swore on the teens' lives, Hopper believed in the kid. With everything they'd been through after all... 

As for Robin, these two had found each other well when they met at Scoops Ahoy. Since leaving high school, it was where Steve had decided to work before he knew what he wanted to do with his life. And this is where Robin worked in addition to school in high school to make some money; Now, thanks to Steve, Robin was an integral part of the party. Dustin thought she was awesome, which convinced everyone. It was nice to see a new female face with all those boys. But, Hopper knew Steve, and he wondered what the young man was waiting for to make his first move towards Robin or if it had already been done. She was indeed great, and it would be silly for Steve to let her go, especially since he seemed to appreciate her and she appreciated him too.

Hopper warns El that it was finally Steve and Robin who were going to keep an eye on her that evening, much to the delight of the young teenager. Steve was truly the best babysitter for The Party. And El loved Robin. Robin had a sense of humor and a lot of sarcasm, which a lot of people liked.   
Hopper waited until their arrival at the Hopper house to give them some final instructions. But Steve already knew all his directions, so it wasn't the first time he had babysat El or the others. It wasn't so much a job for Steve, but more of a hobby. He loved these kids and they were good to him. 

Finally, Hopper left serenely for work and returned early in the morning, El was sleeping in her room, he guessed that Robin was sleeping in one of their guest room and Steve was sleeping on the couch. Hopper didn't dare to wake him up, left two or three bills on the coffee table, put the thin blanket back on him and went to bed. 

Hopper knew Steve was on his own in his big house. His parents were away a lot and when he was with their son, they didn't take care of him, preferring instead to reprimand him. Hopper also knew that Steve's father, as soon as he graduated, had given him an ultimatum: work alongside him in his business or leave home. He gave him a little less than a year to make up his mind. Steve, who didn't know what he wanted to do, had decided to get a job in the meantime, but it seemed that the young man was lost and didn't want to end up like his father. Steve's parents hadn't opened their eyes and didn't know how adorable and great their son was. But fortunately for Steve, along with the kids, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, Joyce and Hopper, they had a new family that truly loved him.


	6. Hopper & Lucas

Hopper and Lucas. 

Thursday afternoon. 4am. Hawkins was quiet, and it wasn't to displease Hopper. He decided to take his pickup and drive around town. Never would have guessed what would happen in the next hour...

Hopper was on patrol in Hawkins when he saw Lucas Sinclair on his bike riding very fast, looking determined, running a few infractions. Cap in the back, his favorite weapon in his jeans pocket. 

The chief sighed. He was bored, nothing to do in this shithole. So he had to follow him, people were grumbling about the boy's behavior waiting for the chief to do his job. 

He stood on Lucas' side as he continued to ride his bike, he stayed at a safe distance, and shouted:   
"Lucas, are you crazy? Stop right now before you cause an accident and hurt yourself!"   
"No Chief! I can't!" Lucas shouted back and glanced at him.   
"What the fuck is wrong with you? You're going to kill yourself!" cried Hop driving by the boy.   
"Don't worry Chief, I know what I'm doing. Stop following me or you'll kill yourself!"  
Hopper began to lose his patience. The kid seemed determined to get where he had to go, but he was behaving dangerously, he could cause an accident at any moment, and so could Hopper driving like that.   
"Lucas damn it! Pullover! I'm not laughing anymore!"  
After a few seconds, finally, Lucas sighed and decided to step aside. The Chief sighed in turn and parked his pickup after Lucas' bike. 

"I hope young man you have a good excuse. Did you see how you behaved? You could have caused an accident, killed someone or worse, killed yourself! You were unconscious, Lucas! Imagine for two seconds what would have happened if something had happened to you?!"   
Hopper, hands on hips, faced the boy. Hopper was red with anger. He reprimanded the boy severely and it lasted at least a good ten minutes. He thought he was clever though, but was slaloming between cars, disrespecting stop signs and red lights... It was not reasonable behavior. Hopper was so angry that Lucas started to cry.   
At the sight of the young man about to cry, Hopper softened his voice and finally asked him: "Why did you do this, Lucas? You're a smart boy... I sincerely hope you have a good reason".   
Lucas looked up at the change of voice of his friend's father and explained to Hopper what made him act like that.   
"Hop... I'm... I'm sorry. But I'm so angry that I didn't think before I acted like this..." Lucas said before he let one of his tears fall on his cheek.   
Hopper couldn't have agreed more with the boy... Hopper was one of those too who never thought before he acted, even today at 41. Always doing instead of thinking, then regretting his actions. If Lucas was also one of those people, poor boy... Hopper thought.   
"And why are you angry like that?" Said Hopper, taking off his hat.   
"Today, at school, Troy wasn't very nice, again... I don't usually care, but he went too far," said Lucas with a lot of anger in his voice.   
That stupid kid again, last week Dustin, and now Lucas... it's about time I told him how I think, Hopper thought.   
"What did that stupid kid do, Lucas?" Finally, the young boy looked at his elder, fists clenched, an angry grin on his lips, and tears fell as he explained to Hopper what Troy had done this time:   
"All day, I mean all day long, he kept hitting on Max, which made her very uncomfortable. Before I left at the end of class, I told him to stop hitting on my girlfriend because she wasn't interested. He told me that I was just a stupid negro, that I belonged with my ancestors in the fields and that a girl like Max would never be in love with me, that she just has pity in me. That's why I was driving like that, Hop. I was following him in his mother's car. Of course, I would never have put myself in danger. After he told me that, I was shocked before I came to my senses and got on my bike to meet him at his house. It's time to fix that fucking racist's problem," Lucas exclaimed, ready to get back on his bike.

Hopper remained deeply shocked at Lucas' words. His hands, forward on his hips, fell back along his sides. He was stunned by the magnitude of the insult Lucas had just received. Of course, he understood the boy's attitude now. Even he now wanted to strangle this little rich momma boy. But, as a responsible adult, even if Hopper wanted to let Lucas go, he simply told him to put his bike in the back of his pickup and that they were both going to Troy's house ...It was time to teach the little bastard some respect, Hop thought. 

On their way, Lucas came to his senses a little bit, finally happy to go to Troy faster alongside Hopper.   
Hopper spoke up when he had calmed down after hearing all his atrocities:   
"You were right, Lucas. And I think if I were you, I wouldn't have let him go and killed him in front of the school. What he said was despicable, racist, and certainly not true, you know that?" Said Hopper as he continued to watch the road but glanced at the boy next to him. He saw the boy relax and reassure himself.   
"I know, Hopper... but I was so angry when he said that..." Hopper continued:  
"And I don't blame you Kid, you're not alone here. You're not alone."   
Hopper smiled at him and finally, Lucas smiled back:   
"It's even better that you come with me, then it'll be easier to kill him" Lucas simply replied. Hopper laughed and explained that they weren't going to kill that asshole even if they wanted to. Hopper was going to scare him so much that he was going to piss his pants... again. 

When they arrived in front of Troy's house, Lucas and Hopper quickly ran to the front door and knocked on the door.   
And it was Troy himself who opened the door. First, he saw Lucas and began to have a little mocking smile on his lips ready to insult him again. But then he saw the imposing posture of the Chief of Police behind Lucas who had put his hands on Lucas' shoulders. Hopper was looking at him very unkindly, Troy was beginning to get fear in his face little by little. And Lucas finally had a mocking smile on his face.   
"Oh, hello Chief... my mother's away, she should be back soon..." said the young boy with a trembling voice.   
"Oh, it's not your mother I want to see, you little brat..." Hopper said suddenly. Troy swallowed. Hopper continued:   
"You see, this isn't the first time you've bullied children, Troy. And I've noticed that you have a very strong grudge against my daughter's friends... Will, Dustin... and now Lucas. But right now, you see, these kids are like my kids... and you've gone way too far, Troy."  
Hopper pushed open the front door and grabbed the kid by the collar making him the same size as him so he could intimidate him right in the eyes. Lucas looked at the scene and was satisfied. But the Chief was getting a little too aggressive... maybe Hopper had taken him seriously when he said he wanted to kill him?   
"You know what I usually do to racists like you before I send them to jail?" Troy, frozen in Hopper's hands, didn't respond, too shocked. Hopper shook him a little and finally Troy said no, still shaking more and more. He was crying and seemed very, very scared of the man who was four heads taller than him. 

"So now you listen to me because I won't repeat myself twice, are we clear?" Troy nodded: "The next time you mess with one of my kids or I find out you said anything racist about Lucas ... I'm gonna kill you. Are we clear on that? Racists like you, I hurt them so badly, they don't dare speak up afterward... and that's not what you want, you little prick?" Hopper articulated all the words and spoke slowly to make him understand. Troy cried his eyes out and nodded more vigorously. Hopper finally put him down, but didn't let him go: "Now you're going to apologize, is that right to you?" Hopper said, bringing his face closer to Troy's face. One last time Troy nodded and apologized to Lucas. Hopper shook him again and shouted: "I didn't understand what you said! And Lucas didn't understand it either, did he, Lucas?" Lucas, a little frightened, nodded, but still happy. "I... I'm... sorry Lucas, I'll never do it again, I promise!" cried the kid.   
"There, that's good..." Hopper let go of the kid and tapped his shoulder a little harder than normal. He walked with Lucas to the door. Troy closed the door behind them, still scared.   
Lucas looked at the Chief, amazed but a little worried:   
"Thanks, Chief, I think he understood now..." he said as he got into the pickup.   
"I think so ..." the Chief was not proud of his behavior, intimidated a kid like that ... but he couldn't forget Lucas' tears and what Troy had said to him, not even possible.   
"Now he's not gonna bother us anymore and he's not gonna say anything racist to me" Lucas was finally happy, and so was Hopper.   
"And besides, he pissed his pants! When I tell the others..." Lucas laughed his head off and the two of them headed back to Lucas' house to drop him off.


	7. Hopper & Nancy

Hopper and Nancy. 

Since El had become known to everyone, Nancy had decided of her own free will to give El a little advanced private tutoring so that she could be comfortable at school. So, very often, after school, Nancy would come and help El with her homework, or give her extra lessons. Thanks to the young adult, El had caught up with the others and was even starting to feel more comfortable at school. Nancy also brought back many of the clothes she no longer wore, giving El the benefit of her taste in clothing. 

At the end of Wednesday afternoon, Nancy was finishing a math lesson at El. The last one because El, even though she hated math, was still very good at it. 

Just before this lesson, Nancy had brought her many dresses, outfits, tops and even jeans. They had decided that El would do a little fashion show with her new clothes. This also involved sorting through her old clothes too. Of course, El and Nancy had put on some music and El was parading in front of his father's proud eyes.   
Even though they were second hand, El was really happy to receive Nancy's clothes, they were in good condition, and all beautiful. So Hopper found himself sitting in his chair giving his opinion on all of El's new clothes. 

After the fun, they had to start working at some point.   
Hopper was supervising the lesson from a distance while he was in the kitchen preparing the meal.   
"Nancy, you still don't want me to give you money?" Hopper asked, looking at the two girls.   
"No, Hopper, thank you again. I'm doing this to help El, nothing else," Nancy replied and El smiled.  
"Well, at least agree to have dinner with us tonight". Hopper replied as he began to set the table.   
El jumped at the chance and said, "Can we invite Mike too?" Nancy burst out laughing and Hopper blew with a little smile on his face. But he accepted. Nothing for his girl even though Mike was way too present for him. 

Hopper was very fond of Nancy Wheeler. She was smart and persistent. When she decided on something, she went right to the end. It was impossible for her to give up. And this is what Hopper liked about her... In a world where patriarchy reigned, he feared that the young woman was bound to run into assholes who would block her way. But he never doubted for a moment that Nancy would always go through with it. This is the kind of example Hopper wanted to set for his daughter. Just because she was a woman and still considered inferior to the man in today's world doesn't mean she had to settle for the minimum.   
With Joyce, Max, Nancy and Robin as women's role in her life, El was bound to become a great one. And Hopper was sure of that.

Later that evening, as the four of them were finishing their meal (yes, Mike had hurried to get his bike at Hopper's invitation and didn't waste a second), Hopper asked Nancy again if she wanted him to pay her for all the lessons and clothes she was giving El.  
"Nancy, we can't go on taking advantage of you like this, let me give you something in return".   
Nancy hesitated. She thought about that talk that she had with Jonathan not so long ago.. She stepped in and proposed a deal to the chief:   
"Well, then... Jonathan told me that you offered to show him around New York. I plan to go to NYU too, and if there's a little room in the car for me..." Hopper smiled and accepted immediately. The more, the merrier he thought. The young lady thanked him and confided that she still had some clothes for El to wear in the future ...


	8. Hopper & Will

Hopper and Will. 

Like just about every Tuesday night, the Hoppers were invited to dinner at the Byers'. It was a tradition that had been going on for a few months now and everyone was very happy about it. Joyce loved El as her own daughter, Will and Jonathan accepted her as their sister, and saw in Hopper the father they wished they had; he helped them with everything, talked to them, listened to them, and most of all, accepted them as they were. And finally, with no secrets from anyone, the two adults enjoyed each other's company very much ... 

On this Thursday evening, the discussions were going well: El was telling her new exploits at school and revealed that she was doing better and better; Will was showing his drawing talents too (Hopper was always shocked to see how talented he was; he wasn't hiding to tell him, making Will blush and stutter) and was also telling about the latest D&D campaigns. Jonathan admitted that he was getting more and more stressed about university and high school graduation … which, by the way, everyone had noticed. Joyce told about her day at Melvald, reminding them that the arrival of Starcourt would probably make her days even longer. Finally, Hopper told about his day at work, which again was boring. 

It was no longer a secret that these 5 people formed one big family together. Only Hopper and Joyce were missing from the movement. The two of them had had more than friendly feelings for each other since a long time ago. Hopper had decided to wait until Joyce was ready; not even a few months ago, she was still living through Bob's death. He accepted that he was in fact in love with her. That's why he had to wait for her. As for Joyce, she had always had feelings for the man. But now Joyce was ready and was waiting for Hopper to make the first move. In short, they were both waiting for the other to make the first move. And they were taking their time... much to the chagrin of their children. 

Bob was the simple solution: he was kind, had no problem, he adored her and her kids. But Hopper... He was Hopper. The impressive guy who took up all the space in the room not only in size but in personality. He was the guy who was always there for her and her kids, the one who believed her and saved them. He was the one who made her laugh and also cry, who made her go through all the emotions. He was the man with the crazy charm, this big muscular guy with arms and legs of steel, devastating smile, square jaw, wonderful baby blue eyes ... and dear god that he had lost weight and gotten stronger during his few months making him even more irresistible and beautiful! And fatherhood suited him so well... so big and strong but also so tender, patient and loving around his little one... but not only! He was like that with all of his daughter's friends... And that made him even more attractive and cute in the eyes of the brunette. Joyce loved Bob, but she was in love with Hopper. 

At the end of the diner, Joyce had left with the help of Jonathan and El to do the dishes. The three of them were on chores that night.   
Will and Hopper met in the living room. The young one had quickly taken the lead and showed Hopper how to operate his new Atari console. Will's always been a very curious boy and passionate about everything he did. Which Hopper very quickly realized.   
"And so after you press this button, you do this. Got it?" Asked the boy with the stars in his eyes. He'd never had a chance to share with Lonnie any real bonding moments, moments Will wanted to do with him, or just father-son moments. Lonnie was interested in many other things, but certainly not his boys. And that's something Will understood very quickly and at a very young age. That's why he had high hopes for Hopper. Finally, a man was interested in him and in his passions. Hopper was moved by it. He knew Jon and Will's situation very well, he had experienced the lack of a father in his past. However, as far as he was concerned, his father had died when he was very young, unlike the two boys who had simply had an absent father. 

Jonathan, El and Joyce hurried to finish the dishes and rushed into the living room to meet Hopper and Will. When they arrived, Will was crying with laughter as Hopper tickled him and had tears in his eyes from hearing the shy boy's laughter.   
"Well, as you can see, Hopper is a sore loser. Who wants to play?" Will asked as he picked up the console. Jonathan and El rushed to Will, who was on the floor in front of the couch, and Joyce sat down with Hopper on the couch, still softened by this moment. 

The evening passed quickly, and it was time for the Hoppers to go home. As they put on their coats, Joyce quietly thanked Hopper. The Chief didn't understand Joyce's sudden statement and asked her with a glance what it meant.   
"For all the things that you're doing for my boys... Thank you Dad."


	9. Hopper & Mike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Have fun guys! :)

One day, Hopper, on a run, had seen Karen at a bend in the beam. The two had become pretty good friends since Karen knew about the relationship between their two children. She was so happy to have a daughter-in-law like El that Karen was over the moon about their relationship. 

So at that meeting, Karen told Hopper that Mike had saved a lot of his allowance so that he could buy El a special gift for their anniversary.   
Hopper, at first, was somewhat touched by this gesture. They were so young and so much in love, so mature for their age about their relationship... He was happy for El. Truly. But, as a father, he couldn't help but feel a little anger. It was also his role to terrorize the young Wheeler, wouldn't it be too simple?

So that Monday shortly after that interview when Flo told him that Michael Wheeler was in the waiting area and wanted to talk to him, Hopper imagined the worst. Monday was paperwork day, so he let Mike come in. 

"Yes, Flo, let him in..." Hopper thought about it until Mike got back to his office and decided to play with his son-in-law for a while.   
He heard a knock on the door and let Mike in.   
Hopper saw the tall, curly, dark-haired teenager go past his head first and said: 

"Hello Hopper, I hope I'm not disturbing you." Hopper didn't answer, but nodded his head and shown him to sit down. He saw the kid swallow. He felt that Mike wasn't feeling well and wondered why he had come, he thought he was bothering the Chief. Hopper began to enjoy this situation.   
Mike sat across from his desk and didn't dare look at the Chief. He was looking for his words and Hopper, after a few seconds, decided to speak. 

"Well, Michael, why have you come to disturb me in my work?" he said sharply.   
Mike made that shot-dog face again and Hopper thought that if El had been there, she probably would have scolded him. 

"Uh... Chief... I came to ask you if..."Mike couldn't hold still and kept twitching his fingers. 

"If what?" Mike stopped babbling and Hopper laughed. Mike looked at him in disbelief, he couldn't understand the turnaround. Hopper explained: 

"I'm kidding you, Mike. What's going on here? Something wrong with El?" Hopper asked. Mike looked at him strangely and then finally smiled. Yes, he was afraid of his girlfriend's father. Who wouldn't be? He was tall, muscular, imposing and had a gun on him. And on top of all that, he was dating his daughter. Of course, he was scared.   
Then Mike started talking non-stop: 

"So, El and I are going to have our anniversary in a couple of weeks, and I'd like to pick El up from your house, take her out to a fancy place for dinner, give her a present and take her home. All that of course, if that's all right with you". Mike looked at Hopper with great hope in his eyes. Hopper kept the suspense going and finally agreed. 

"Ok. No problem for me if you play by the rules, that is, be home at" Mike cut him off and finished his sentence in his place. 

"9 pm at the latest, no getting too close and don't do anything El doesn't want," he said triumphantly. 

"Okay Mike, you got it on tape, that's good," said Hopper, getting up ready to walk Mike to the door. But the boy wasn't finished. 

"Hopper... I'm not finished". The Chief began to worry again. What more did Mike want? 

"What do you mean Mike?" Hopper asked. And then the young man blushed and stammered again. Hopper didn't understand his gibberish and leaned over the desk and put his hand on the young man's forearm. 

"I don't know how to do it," the boy simply said. Hopper remained incredulous once again. Decidedly, Mike Wheeler knew how to drive Hopper mad. 

"What don't you know how to do it?" 

"I don't know how to romance a girl Hop," he said almost ashamedly. 

"You don't have to romance El, she's already madly in love with you." Hopper couldn't understand as Mike turned as red as his shirt. 

"I don't know how to do this... What should I get her? Where should I take her? How do I invite her? What should I say to her while we're eating? What if there is a problem? I don't know all that... and I thought I could ask you... you're her father and most of all... you're a man. You know how to do it. That's why I came here... and also ask your permission too of course." 

The boy had his tirade out in one go and was red. It's a good thing Hopper was sitting down, otherwise, he would've fallen. If he was expecting it... Mike, the young boy who was at his home every day, was spending his time with his daughter... asking him for advice about women! Hopper was stunned. Hopper quickly concluded that Mike must trust him and have a very good opinion of his father-in-law to make such a request. But he was also very sad for the young man ... unlike Dustin or Will who didn't have a father, Mike had Ted at home, his parents were not divorced... yet. Mike should have gone to Ted for this kind of advice, it was up to him to have this conversation with his boy. So Hopper was very touched that Mike turned to him but also sad for that young boy.   
Hopper smiled and spoke to him: 

"So Mike, my daughter is madly in love with you... Whatever you do, she'll love it, believe me. Get her a gift that she will love, about the two of you, your relationship, it has to make sense you know? Ask her out when you're together, it has to be a private moment, just tell her you want to celebrate your birthday, celebrate your relationship. Take her anywhere, as long as she's with you, she'll appreciate it. It's not the value of the food that makes you love the date, it's who you share it with. And needless to say, she loves Eggos. Just don't change the way you are. El loves you for who you are. Just be yourself. And if you're yourself, and you're confident, everything should go well," he says with a wink. Mike drank his precious advice. 

"Okay Hopper... thank you very much," he said standing up. 

"And Mike?" Hopper asked as he joined the young man. 

"Yes?" he said, joining the young man. 

"Thank you. I really appreciate everything you're doing for my daughter. And even if sometimes I'm a bit of a pain in the ass with you, that's my job, you know. You're a good kid. And I know you're perfect for El." 

Mike looked at Hopper in disbelief. It was completely unexpected. When he first came into the Chief's office with this request, he thought he was going to get his ass kicked... and finally, he came out with a blessing from the father of the girl he loves. 

"Thank you, Hopper," he says sincerely. Hopper reached out his hand and the young boy shook his hand and finally hugged him. Hopper, at first concerted, finally gave him his hug back. Mike finally walked away, thanking again, his gait assured. 

Hopper returned to his office, happy with the way the discussion had gone. He wasn't going to tell El, it would spoil the surprise. But he was really confused and angry... What was wrong with those Hawkins' fathers? The absent ones who did a shitty job, the ones who beat their kids, and now the ones who were there but didn't care about their kids to the point where those kids didn't trust them...


	10. Hopper at Hawkins Middle School

The end of the second trimester had arrived. It was time for the parents of the Hawkins Middle School students to meet their children' teachers, to talk about the students' results, their behaviour in class, but also their future. 

Since El had joined the middle school at the beginning of the year and her principal teacher did not know the truth about El's past, Hopper often had contact with her teacher through phone calls (she knew the official's story: Hopper had a daughter he did not know about and her mother had died leaving her daughter El by herself).   
So Hopper did not see much point in this meeting, since he already knew El's results at school. 

"Come on Dad, please come to this meeting," asked El one night when they were both eating. 

"El... why would I go? I know how it is for you at school... We could stay home and watch a movie. You pick!" Said Hopper as he tried to sweet-talk his daughter. But unfortunately for him, she was stubborn, and when she got an idea in her head... 

"I could show you my school... my locker... my classrooms too! You'll meet my teacher for real this time, and I could show you where the guys and I play!" 

"You know I've been at your place in your school before?" Hopper jokingly asked. 

"Yeah... in the last century..." El whispered. Hopper laughed at his daughter's line. She had some answers... Finally, after playing with her, he agreed. After all, he could show her that he cared about her by showing his involvement in her schooling. 

So that Thursday night, instead of going to the Byers and enjoying his last night before a weekend of work, he was now in the Hawkins middle school parking lot.   
El was very happy. Probably because she was going to show her school with her father, the chief of police! She knew that her father imposed respect through his presence and his work. She was very proud of that. She had put on her best outfit, had put on some make-up, as Nancy had shown her, and had asked Hop to make a little effort too. He had put on a pair of jeans, a nice shirt and jacket. El was now clutching his father's arm and the two of them were on their way to the building. 

How weird... Hopper thought to himself as he saw Max standing in front of the building. Max was by the door and seemed to wait... until she saw her best friend and her father. Max was also dressed up and had put on a little makeup as well. Max jumped on them and thanked Hopper for coming. 

"What do you mean?" Hopper looked at the two young teenagers in front of him and wondered. El's gaze seemed to be clearly drawn to the ground. 

"Well ... for being able to replace my parents! I told our teacher that you would come in their place and she accepted! It's cool, isn't it?" 

Hopper watched in amusement as the two stunned teenage girls looked on in amazement. Now he replaced Max's parents at a parent-teacher meeting... El begged him with her look. He understood that she hadn't dared to ask her father... Hopper sighed: 

"Yeah, don't worry, Max, you know I'm here to help you. " El sighed contentedly and Max gave her a big smile. 

Hopper stood up and said:   
"My ladies," he said, reaching out his two arms. The girls laughed and both of them grabbed Hopper's arm and entered the building. 

Once in the halls, Hopper pretended not to know the place. El was so happy to show him her school that he let her lead him to his classroom. Max was also happy to be with her, making a few comments, although she let El guide them, it was her moment. It was the first time El had ever experienced something like this. 

El was ahead of them and Max had stayed with Hop. Hopper only watched his daughter wander the halls. He certainly wasn't paying attention to the other mothers who were passing by... Well, Hopper was probably the only father around. And what a dad... Hopper always caught the eye. He was a very handsome man. However, since he had lost weight and gained more muscle than before, and the fact that fatherhood made him even more irresistible... Hawkins' women were devouring him with their eyes. But he couldn't see it. He just looked at El and admired her happiness. 

"And here we are in front of the room! We have to wait for our turn now," says El as she sits on the chairs in front of the room. 

They didn't have to wait long as people came out of the room. The teacher greeted the three of them and Hop settled in among the two girls. 

"Mr Hopper, finally we meet in person!" The professor exclaimed and Hopper smiled at her. 

She wasted no time and began to tell about El. She was certainly in a hurry, and Hopper liked it. It was going faster than expected.   
And finally, as expected, Hopper wasn't surprised. El wasn't the best in her class, but she was doing very well. She made great efforts even if sometimes shyness was her flaw. Hopper was smiling and he congratulated El, who couldn't take her smile off. 

"Now, El, do you have any idea what you want to be when you grow up?" asked her teacher. 

El had no idea, but she explained that she liked her history and law classes. Her teacher told her that it was great to know what you like.   
Hopper nodded. The teacher congratulated El one last time and changed her papers. 

"And so, now it's Maxine's turn." 

"Max" replied the young teenager immediately. 

"Max, sorry" said the teacher. "So your parents couldn't come?"

"They're away on a business trip. And so, since I'm staying with the Hoppers until they get back, the Chief agreed to come." Hopper was stunned by the lies Max was telling... he was shocked to see how well she lied, but especially to know that her mother and stepfather hadn't left at all. 

Once the meeting was over, he was going to do something about Max. This was no life for this young girl. 

"It's nice of you, Mr. Hopper..." said the professor with a smile a little too kind for Hop's taste. He was a little embarrassed and asked about Max. 

The teacher told him about Max, and like El, Max had good results and that she was trying her best too. On the other hand, the professor reminded Max that she was dreaming too much in class, she had to be even more attentive to progress even more. But she congratulated her one last time. The Hoppers also congratulated Max, El took her hand and Hopper put his hand on her shoulder. Max was very happy with their reaction and thanked them. Max then said she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life yet, but she really liked gym and history classes. 

The teacher accompanied them to the door, thanked the girls and said:

"If you have any further questions Chief, we can meet whenever you want..." she said with a big smile. Hopper felt awkward but remained polite and thanked her. The three of them left in the corridor, not at all interested in her proposal.

"So, girls! Since you have very good results, being awesome and blablabla, we're going to celebrate! I'm taking you out for dinner! And yes El, Max can have a sleepover at home, don't worry" Hopper anticipated what El was going to ask him and the girls thanked Hopper. 

Before they went outside, El wanted to show Hopper her locker, her other classrooms... And so El, once again, arranged a little tour of her school. Max laughed at her best friend's behaviour, still on Hopper's arm. 

When they walked near the gym, they ran into Mike and Karen. 

Of course, El gravitated to Mike right away. And Karen had stars in her eyes to see her son still so close to that lovely Jane.   
As soon as El and Mike got together, Hopper and Max had the same reaction that made them laugh, they looked up to the sky and sighed. 

"Hey, the Hoppers! And Max!" Karen exclaimed. “I was going to say fancy to see you there guys... It's great to see a dad so devoted to his daughter Jim... You're the only father who decided to come for all those kids," Karen said. Hopper nodded and said it was normal. He quickly understood that the remark was directly addressed to her husband, who was not there. 

Hopper didn't know what to say and finally Max came to his rescue: 

"Yeah, he even came for me, my parents couldn't. Besides, Hop was going to take us out to dinner, weren't you, Hop?" Said Max, elbowing him. 

Hopper was about to answer, but Karen cut him off: 

"Oh, no, not right away! The principal is going to give his speech, it would be a shame to miss it," Karen exclaimed. 

El, of course, didn't miss a moment near Mike. Max didn't care. And Hopper wanted to get out of there fast. He had no choice but to follow El and Mike as they led the group. Max was still on his arm, and naturally, Karen took his other arm, taking El's place. Mike and El were the first to enter the gym under a deafening silence. 

Hopper, Max and Karen entered as well, while Karen continued to greet the fact that Hopper had come for the girls at this meeting, and they bumped into the two teenagers in front of them. They had interrupted the beginning of the principal's speech. All the parents and students were sitting in the bleachers in front of the principal. Everyone was watching them. Max was laughing her head off, Mike and El wanted to laugh but were also a little embarrassed. Karen, strangely, laughed in front of the women's gaze; after all, she was on the arm of the only man of the evening. And Hopper was terribly embarrassed. Terribly embarrassed. He felt like he was being watched from everywhere.

A few seconds passed, Dustin began to whistle, Lucas and Will waved their arms to tell them where to sit, they had saved seats in case they decided to come.

Hopper noticed that Dustin and Lucas' mothers were present. He had met them a few times before, but that's all. He did not know them as he knew Karen, and certainly Joyce.   
He saw Joyce next to Will, smiling and laughing at him, although he could see she was a little confused. 

Was she confused to see me at this meeting? Did she assume that I wouldn't be there for El? Or was it seeing me with Karen or Max? Hopper thought. He was a little confused.   
As they walked towards the first seats on the left, closest to the entrance, Karen said: 

"Sorry, Principal, a small family reunion made us late... You can go on," Karen exclaimed as the people began to talk about what she had just said. 

Mike shoved a "Mom!", all embarrassed. 

And finally, Karen sat down with Dustin's mother, followed by Mike, El, Max and finally Hopper. What the hell am I doing here?" Hopper thought. 

The principal resumed his speech, and Hopper soon noticed that no one was listening to him. Most of the moms were talking to each other, and so were the kids. Some of the women were looking at him, curious to see him here.   
Hopper's gaze wandered off, and he saw that Dustin, Lucas and Will had brought a game and were playing together. Mike and El kept talking to each other. Dustin and Lucas' moms were talking to Karen. Max was tying her shoelaces, and finally he caught Joyce's eyes. She was looking at him, too. And as soon as they looked at each other, they smiled stupidly. Hopper saw that Joyce was turning red and he smiled one last time before looking away. He could feel his cheeks turning red too. 

Finally, the speech ended and the principal invited everyone to have a drink. Everybody got up and most of them left in the direction of the principal.   
Hopper let the girls know it was time to leave for dinner. But he saw Joyce coming towards him, shy and still red. "Hi Hopper." 

"Hi Joyce, good to see you." Joyce smiled at him. An awkward silence settled in. But they were soon interrupted by El and Max who, after talking to their friends, decided they were hungry. 

"Dad, can we go now?" Hopper looked at Joyce and apologized. He was embarrassed. The girls said goodbye to their friends and Joyce one last time, El hugged Joyce.   
Hopper, El and Max left the room as Joyce looked on tenderly.

"I ran into them just before I entered the gym. Hopper came for Jane, but also helped Max as her parents weren't there. What a lovely father... Fatherhood suits him so well, don't you think Joyce?" Karen asked her with a big smile on her face.


	11. Hopper & Robin

“El, are you sure this is ok?” asked Robin as she was putting stuff in the closet. 

"I'm sure, don't worry," said El as she gave her some sheets for the bed. 

"Yes, but your father doesn't know I'm here... I don't want to cause any trouble." Robin was worried. 

"And I'm telling you he'll be okay," said El as she continued to help Robin. 

Later that same day... 

"El! I'm home," cried Hopper, taking off his coat and hat at the door. 

He took off his boots, put down his things, and began to look for his daughter. It wasn't late and El had to wait for him that night. Friday nights were Miami Vice night, the Hoppers ritual.   
Everything was quiet on the ground floor, which was not El's usual practice. El, when she waited for Hop at night, she'd turn on the TV, the radio, when one of her friends were not there... so she wouldn't feel lonely.   
He decided to go up to her room and when he arrived in the corridor, he saw the light under El's door, knocked and waited for El to answer.   
As soon as El allowed him, he went in. He had the good surprise to see El on her bed doing her homework, and to see Robin sitting on the floor doing her homework as well. 

"Dad, Robin's going to sleep over," said El without looking up, concentrating on her lessons. 

"Good evening Chief" said Robin, looking up and smiling at him. 

"Good evening..." Hopper was intrigued. 

"I'll let you do your lessons, girls," Hopper said as he came out of El's room. His eyes were blank and he didn't understand what was going on. He opened the door again and said,   
"I'll make dinner for three then." 

The two girls said "Thank you Dad" and "Thank you Chief" at the same time and he closed the door. He didn't understand what was going on, but decided to go and make some food, he was really hungry. 

While he was heating the food, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Robin in the doorway. He saw that she wanted to talk to him but didn't know how to do so. 

"So, you sleep at our place then?" Hopper said as he began the discussion. 

"Yes, I wasn't planning on it. But El assured me you wouldn't mind. I didn't want to, really, but she is very stubborn..." Hopper laughed and nodded, Robin laughed with him too. 

"So you don't mind, right?" Robin asked anxiously. 

"No, not really. But why don't you tell me why you've come to sleep under my roof?" Hopper asked, continuing to cook. Robin agreed and joined him to help him. 

"For the past month, I've been living at Steve's. My parents kicked me out of my house. Everything was going well since Steve's parents didn't know I was sleeping at their house... They seem to have forgotten that they have a son as they are always away on business trips. So it was easier. But today, when they came home in the late afternoon, they finally noticed that I was living with them. They got very angry, they kicked me out too and I had to leave quickly while Steve was... Well, let's say that they did not really appreciate it… So I ended up in Hawkins with my stuff and I didn't know where to go. That's when the kids saw me and they immediately decided that they were going to help me, the party's code they said. I was supposed to go to the Byers', but El insisted that you were only two in a big house with plenty of rooms there and you loved helping people. El even said it was a Hopper code to help people. And finally, I thought it was better to go to your house, since I know Mrs. Byers was already having a hard time financially with two boys... so here I am”. Says Robin as she continues to help Hopper make dessert. 

Hopper tells himself that he raised El very well. Even though he would have liked to know that he would have another girl under his roof, he thought it wasn't a big deal. He could help Robin, she was a great kid. She was well-behaved, El loved her, and she was smart. Just another kid, one more or one less, does it matter? 

"Okay, I get it Robin. You can stay as long as you want, I don't care." Hopper smiled at her and Robin thanked him again. 

"I'll help with the house chores and cooking. I'll help El with her homework too. And I can watch her while you're at work. I work at Scoops Ahoy on the weekends, I might even give you some money"

"No no no no Robin, you keep your money. If you help around the house, I'm okay with that. If you want to help El at school, ask Nancy. And if you want to keep an eye on her, ask Joyce, that's their job. But I don't want you to give me money. You work hard for it, you keep it," Hopper told her. 

Robin looked at him and said: 

"Ok Hopper, thank you very much..." She was a little surprised at the Chief's reaction but not so much ... because after a few seconds, she said: 

"Well, the kids are right. You really are their Dad". 

"I am? They said that?" Hopper laughed.

"Yes, they said you wouldn't mind, and behind your grumpy Chief's outfit you were a real teddy bear," Robin and Hopper laughed. After a minute, he said:

"On the other hand, should I expect Harrington to climb up to my house to visit you?" Robin didn't understand why Hop had said that to her. "Well, you and him... you're... together, right?" Hopper asked. Robin laughed. 

"Ohhhh no Chief! Not at all! He's just my best friend." 

"Oh. Ok, sorry then. I thought... since you're at his house, spending a lot of time together..." 

"No, we're just best friends. That's why my parents kicked me out of the house, I'm gay" 

"Ok" Just say Hopper. Even though he thought those parents were a piece of shit. 

"That's it? No extreme reaction?” Robin wasn't expecting that kind of behaviour. 

"It's your choice, you do what you want. Even if your parents are stupid, and rejecting their kid for it proves they're shitheads." Robin was really happy to finally hear an adult approve her choices, approve who she is. 

"Thank you, Chief. I wish more people would react like you." 

Hopper turned to Robin and put his hand on her shoulder: "You're welcome here anytime you want Robin." Robin thanked him and they finished preparing the meal. 

Hopper called El and the three of them started to eat. Then, El explained that tonight, with Hopper, they used to watch Miami Vice and that she was invited to join them. Robin accepted. 

Finally, while Hopper was in his comfy armchair and the two girls were on the couch with a blanket wrapped around their shoulders, he thought that if they continued like this, they would take in all of Hawkins' kids. After Max, there's Robin. Who's next? Hopper laughed.


	12. Hopper & Dustin

Hopper left Powell in charge of today's calls. All day long, he'd been sitting at his desk filling out paperwork. But he was mostly thinking. 

Robin had already been living with him and El for a few days. He didn't mind, far from it. But he felt guilty. Some time ago he was alone in the woods, taking pills and drinking alcohol, thinking about Sarah again and again. And now he had adopted a 13-year-old girl and taken in a 16-year-old, and their best friends of 18 and 14 were all spending their time at home too. Because yes, now you could say that Max and Steve were practically living with them. And as said before, Hopper didn't mind, even quite the opposite. Hopper and all of them had experienced something inexplicable together against the Upside Down and all its bullshit. And these kids were going through hard times with their parents: Steve's parents didn't love him, Robin was kicked out of her house, and Max's parents didn't take care of her either. Hopper felt so sorry for them, they were going through so much shit that he felt like he had to help them. And Hopper trusted them, they were so nice and adorable: since Robin's arrival at their house, when he arrived at night, Hopper just had to settle down at the table since the girls and Steve had already prepared everything. 

Moreover, since their conversation, Mike came more and more often to spend his days with El. One more kid. Max was more or less living with the Hoppers, so Lucas came more often too. One more kid. Will and Dustin were coming too, since now everyone was going to the Hoppers'. Two more kids. Hopper's house was becoming the party headquarters. And he was truly happy about that. He loved those kids. And it made El happy. But, he thought it was time he found a room in his house to be alone once in a while... 

As he was imagining one of the guest rooms as an office for him, he heard the distinct voice of one of the kids. 

"Get off me, you brute! Chief where are you?! Come and help me! Chief Hopper!" 

Hearing the screams in his station, Hopper stood up and prepared for the worst... He arrived and saw Powell manhandling Dustin, who was waving around. Powell was yelling at him and Dustin continued to yell too, "Chief, help!" When he arrived, he ordered Powell to drop Dustin directly: 

"Powell! What the fuck is going on here?! Drop him now!" He quickly got in front of his man and the kid and pushed Powell away. 

"Put the cuffs on him too! He's just a kid! Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Hopper was very upset. 

"But Chief" Hopper cut him off and ordered him to keep his mouth shut. Behind them, Dustin had a chance to stick his tongue out and complained to Hopper. 

"Hopper, thank God you finally stepped in that horrible situation. He was going to kill me!" 

The Chief turned to the kid and shook his head. He could see that Dustin was overdoing, but in any case, it didn't excuse his officer's behaviour. He put his hand on Dustin's shoulder and asked him to go wait for him in his office. Dustin left, happy to have won against Powell and continued to rise up and say: 

"What a shame! Our police force beating up a teenager! We've never seen anything like it! Dear Lord I'm strong enough to handle that kind of assault!" 

Once the kid was in his office, Hopper turned to Powell and waited for an explanation. 

"The kid built a giant radio, and I found out he was spying on our conversations. I tried to ask him to stop, but he started talking about science and stuff. I didn't get it. He insulted me and I decided to take him in. But this kid wouldn't stop yelling..." 

"Next time you have a problem with this kid or his friends, call me. Do not deal with him anymore" And Hopper left for his office. 

When he got there, he saw Dustin sitting where he did not belong in Hopper's chair. When he saw the Chief at the door, he quickly switched seats and stood in front of the desk. Hopper settled in and Dustin wasted no time: 

"It's a shame Hopper! You're a great and competent police officer, but your subordinate sucks! I'm just a teenager trying to understand the world around him here. I'm not a criminal”

"Dustin, cut the crap and tell me what's going on..." Hopper pinched the bridge of his nose and thought the kid was far too dramatic. 

"I did make a radio named Cerebro, I'm indeed guilty for being a genius. My radio is awesome and I happen to be able to pick up a lot of channels...including yours. On the other hand, I wasn't spying on you at all. Then this Powell guy came along and demanded that I destroy Cerebro! There was no way I would destroy my work of art. It's for science, and Mr. Clarke always said we should pursue our curiosity. So, it's true, I did say he was a bit stupid and ignorant. And then he kidnapped me. I tried to bite him but I forgot that you were probably here and that you'd understand me, wouldn't you, Chief?" said Dustin, waving his hands to make himself understood. 

Hopper was tired. Even exhausted. 

"Where's Cerebro?" Hopper simply asked. He never thought that he would have said something like that in his life. 

"I managed to hide my baby before this bully kidnapped me." Dustin was way too much in the drama, Hopper thought again. 

"Look, you can't listen to our channel, it's illegal. And you shouldn't insult police officers too." 

"Yes I know, I'm not stupid, I'm not going to do that anymore Chief. But Cerebro is a real work of art. I'm really proud of it" Dustin says with a guilty look on his face. Hopper sighed and laughed at the situation. 

"Should I take you back to Cerebro?" Hopper asked as he stood up. 

"No, but thank you, Chief. Powell kidnapped me a few blocks from here. I'll be fine." Hopper walked Dustin out the door anyway. As they passed by, Dustin waved at Powell who made a weird face at the teenage boy. 

"Be careful with Cerebro Dustin. And do me a favour, sign up for a drama class."

"I take note. Have a nice day Chief. My Lady," said Dustin as he went by Flo. She laughed and smiled at the Chief. 

"What a funny kid" laughed Flo. 

"You have no clue of what you're talking about, Flo..." Hopper walked back to his office and laughed again at Dustin's attitude.


	13. The Hoppers & The Byers

Joyce had warned Jonathan and Will: she didn't want a birthday party.

"But Mom!" Will complained. 

"You know Will, once you reach to a certain age, it's not a big deal anymore to celebrate your birthday..." Joyce responded with a laugh. 

Will and Jon had insisted and finally Joyce had agreed to receive gifts and to invite El and Hopper for dinner, since her birthday was the same day as the weekly meeting with the Hoppers anyway.   
So it was decided that El and Hopper would come to dinner for their mother's birthday. But did they know that this day was an important day? 

After their school day, Jonathan and Will had taken the car (now fixed thanks to Hopper) and drove to the Hoppers' house. El must have been home by now, and Hopper wasn't supposed to work. 

They knocked on the door and El answered it. They greeted each other cheerfully, and Jonathan and Will saw Hopper in the kitchen. He greeted them too. El sat down at the table, and so did Will. Jonathan sat down opposite Hopper and the conversation began: 

"What's going on, boys? Hopper asked, serving them a drink and some cake. 

"We wanted to tell you that next week, when you come, it will be Mom's birthday," Jonathan said. Hopper looked at him in disbelief and checked the calendar: 

"Already?! Time goes by too fast ... thank you for warning me, I had lost track of time." Jonathan smiled, as did Will. 

"Shall we go and get a present for Joyce then?" El asked, turning to Hopper. Hopper turned to the boys and asked: 

"Oh, yeah... do you have any ideas?" Will and Jonathan didn't know... besides, they thought Hopper and El might have had an idea. 

For long minutes, the four of them searched for what would make Joyce happy, and some gift ideas came up. Finally, they decided to go to the mall right away to get some presents. They were already thinking about that anyway, and it wasn't too late. So Hopper took Jonathan's car and the three teenagers got into the car and drove to the mall ... 

A few days later... 

"Hopper shouldn't be long, he's not late Mom, stop worrying," said Jonathan as he came out of the kitchen. Jonathan had decided to prepare the dinner while his mother was getting ready. Will finished wrapping the presents in his room. 

Joyce was pacing around in the living room. She had dressed well for the occasion; it was her birthday after all. Even her boys had put on their best clothes. She didn't know what she was worried about. Maybe it was because she feared Hopper had forgotten her birthday. After all, it wouldn't be surprising: he had more or less just adopted a new girl. Although Robin was very independent, it was no small thing to welcome a new teenager into their home. 

Finally, she saw the headlights of Hopper's pickup parked in front of her house and a big smile appeared on her face. 

"Well, you see ... he hasn't forgotten you" Jonathan whispered to her, laughing and walking back to the kitchen.

Hopper and El knocked on the door a few seconds later and Joyce let them in. As soon as the door opened, El jumped on her and wished her a happy birthday. El let Joyce go and thanked her warmly. 

"Happy birthday Joyce and sorry for the delay, our lady here wanted to wear this dress and not another," Hopper said with a smile. El stuck out her tongue and laughed. Joyce complimented El on her outfit. It's true that they also wore nice clothes. El was beautiful and Hopper had put on some nice pants and shirt. 

"Thank you, Hopper. Robin didn't come?" Joyce asked. 

"No, she said she didn't want to interrupt our family reunion," said El innocently as she dropped off her coat and went to see Will who had just arrived in the living room. Joyce blushed and looked at Hopper. 

"I didn't insist. She told me she had to work some lessons for school, she apologised, and wished you a happy birthday". Joyce told him it did not matter. 

"The presents are in the car ... Dad will go get them just before dessert," El whispered to Will as they started to sit down to eat. 

The dinner went beautifully. This evening was like all the evenings the Hoppers shared with the Byers: good mood, talking about everything and nothing that never ended, laughing ... Joyce was having a great birthday dinner and didn't want it to end. She and Hopper were each at the end of the table and Joyce couldn't hold Hopper's insistent gaze ... Dessert arrived and Hopper apologised, saying he had to go to the bathroom. Joyce smiled at him and then returned to the children, continuing the conversation. 

Hopper arrived and Jonathan got up to get the cake, made by him and Will. Everyone sang for Joyce except Hopper, who always looked at her with a big smile. Joyce was moved to see her three children so excited about her birthday, their eyes shining. And Hopper looked up to her. 

"Here, Mom, I didn't put a candle in the cake because we remembered that when you get to a certain age, you don't celebrate your birthday anymore". El and Will sneaked into the boy's living room and bedroom to get the presents while Jonathan cut the cake. 

When the kids arrived in the kitchen, Joyce had tears in her eyes when she saw Will and El handing her 5 packages of presents. Joyce began to say that she shouldn't give her any presents, that their presence and this dinner were enough for her. But Hopper put his hand on her shoulder, sat her down, and the three teenagers gave Joyce the presents one by one.   
Jonathan gave her a new iron. Will gave her a new coat. El handed her a package that turned out to be a very pretty summer dress. Hopper gave her an expensive perfume and a scarf. And finally, Will had made her a homemade key chain.   
Joyce had tears in her eyes and thanked them one by one. She took all of her three kids in her embrace and kissed them on their head. She whispered a thank you to Hopper as he was watching them. Joyce had tears in her eyes. She let them and she came in front of him. Hopper had put his hands on her waist and Joyce kissed his cheek, a little too close to the corner of his lips ... Joyce quickly took him in her arms, very embarrassed. The three teenagers smirked at each other. 

The evening ended with some card games between the five of them and finally, as El was slowly closing her eyes, Hopper decided it was time to leave. Jonathan and Will thanked them and began to clear the room. Joyce walked them back to the car. Hopper carried El and Joyce helped him open his car door. 

"Thank you again, Hopper. You didn't have to do all this." Joyce suspected the value of the gifts she had received and who was behind it... Hopper closed the door behind El and turned to Joyce. 

"Joyce, I had a great time tonight. And after everything we'e been through, you deserve it," said Hopper, looking at her with that same look ... He knew she couldn't stand the look, and he was playing it up. Joyce finally looked up and took his hand. 

"Thank you, Hopper." 

"Happy Birthday Joyce" Hopper took her hand and walked away to his car. 

Joyce watched them leave happily and smiled.


	14. Hopper and the Party at the Wheelers

Spring was well established in Hawkins and Karen had decided to invite everyone to celebrate the arrival of those hotter spring days. El was very happy to spend the day with the Wheelers. Robin was a little anxious since it would be the first time she would meet everyone at once. Hopper was pretty excited too, even eager to meet Joyce. Since her birthday party two weeks ago, they hadn't had time to see each other. Hopper had had to cancel last week's dinner, and now El was being watched by Robin at night when he was working. There was a lot of work at the station, just as Joyce was obviously very busy at Melvald's, according to Will and Jonathan. So, Hopper was in a hurry to get to Karen's place. 

"Are you sure I won't disturbed?" Robin asked in the living room. Hopper and Steve were with her, too, and Robin continued to worry. El was finishing getting ready in her room. 

"What are you afraid of?" Steve asked, snacking. He'd put on jeans and a shirt. Robin preferred shorts and a t-shirt. Hopper had put on jeans and a white shirt and preferred to take his jacket as well. 

"Nancy and I never really talked. And, as much as I like Jonathan, I think he'll be with his girlfriend. And I've never met Karen too." Robin began a list of things that were wrong for her. 

"And Joyce adores you. The kids love you, too. Even Max and Dustin say you're the best and you're awesome. El thinks of you as a sister. Steve will be all over your ass all day. And I'll be there too... Isn't that enough?" Hopper said as he pulled out some beers and a plate of food that the girls had prepared sooner. 

Steve said, "I told you so." And Robin sighed. They were right she thinks. She was worried too much... 

El quickly came down the stairs and showed her outfit of the day. She was wearing a beautiful dress and simple sneakers. She had braided her hair. Steve whistled, Robin told her she was beautiful, and Hopper kissed her on the head telling her she was beautiful too. 

Finally, the four of them left around 2 pm. They were only ten minutes away so they did not take the car. El held Hopper's arm while Steve and Robin carried the things in front of them and Steve mocked Robin by telling her that Hopper had definitely adopted her. 

All four of them arrived quickly and El knocked at the Wheelers. It was Karen who opened the door, always happy and welcoming them warmly. Robin was pleasantly surprised and handed her what they had brought for dinner that evening. 

The four of them went through the house and found themselves in the backyard. Everyone had already arrived. They took turns greeting everyone. Nancy, Jonathan, Karen, Lucas' mother, Ted and Joyce were sitting at the garden table under the umbrella. While Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Max were further down in the grass helping to set up Holly's little pool. A few women and men were there, either around the barbecue or at the table, but Hopper didn't know them.   
Hopper saw a pile of tent material in a corner of the backyard, games being dragged around, the barbecue was set up.   
El rushed over to say hello, hugged Joyce and sped off to her friends. Steve and Robin also said hello and headed off to the kids, who welcomed them like heroes. Hopper greeted everyone shyly and smiled honestly at Joyce. 

Later that afternoon... 

It was a beautiful day. The children were clearly having fun, running, playing around, the adults were chatting, the discussions were going well. Everybody was having fun. The sun was hitting hard and it was extremely hot.   
Hopper watched El having fun with her friends and he wasn't sure what to do. He had started talking with the other fathers, but he wasn't taking part in the conversation. Not that it wasn't interesting, but he was busy with something else … or with someone else. With a beer in his hand, he watched Joyce from the corner of his eye who was having a great conversation with the other children's mothers. He thought she was beautiful: she was wearing the white summer dress El had given her for her birthday, had let her hair fall on her shoulders and was laughing... She looked happy, carefree, and Hopper smiled stupidly as he dreamily looked at her. 

Jonathan and Nancy had mysteriously stayed with their elders and some were already starting to leave. So there were only Joyce, Karen, Lucas' mother Christine, Dustin's mother Carol, Nancy and Jonathan on the terrace. Ted, Hopper and Lucas' father Marc were starting to prepare the barbecue. 

"Okay ladies, now that we're together and quite drunk... let's talk about the subject that's burning our lips: Hopper!" 

Karen laughed drunkenly. Nancy blushed with shame and Jonathan thought it was time to cover his ears. Joyce, knowing Karen, knew where the conversation would go. 

"I thought I was the only one who noticed..." Christine laughed. The others said the same.

"You'd have to be blind not to have seen what this man has been doing for the past few months..." Karen said, taking a sip. She had obviously abused alcohol and continued talking: 

"Look at the benefits of the gym: muscular shoulders, a beautiful back, toned legs, biceps that are as big as my head, flat stomach... and jeans on a muscular man... that little ass... and" Nancy stopped her mother from continuing while Karen laughed and Christine and Carol obviously laughed, a little drunk too. 

"He used to be pretty good-looking... but now... Hopper's become a real daddy..." Carol sighed. Joyce was increasingly embarrassed but couldn't help but admit they were right. 

As it was hot, Hopper had taken off his jacket and was in a shirt, and his biceps were impressively large. He had his back to them, talking to the other men ... The jeans he was wearing held him tight. A strong line drew his shoulders ... 

"Look who's starting to check him up and down!" Karen exclaimed, talking about Joyce, which made the whole table laugh. Jonathan excused himself and decided to go to the kitchen. As far as he loved his mother, he wasn't prepared for that conversatin. Nancy followed him:

"Jonathan! Don't be embarrassed. You know how women can be with each other ... and they are not sober ... And you have to admit that Hopper is..." 

"Don't say it!" Jonathan cried out. 

"Excuse me... he'll soon be your stepfather." Jonathan sighed and Nancy laughed at his joke. 

Back outside, it seams that Karen was starting to be very drunk:

“Ok, Jon and Nancy are not there anymore, what are you going to do Joyce?” She said pointing her drink in Joyce's direction. She continued to talk while Karen did not let Joyce say something: 

“Because you know, a lot of women around town are after him. And even though he stopped sleeping around since Jane's here, he still a man... Do something Joyce” 

“She's right. I know a lot of women who are very interested in him. But Jim only has eyes for you, Joyce. All day long, he didn't even listen to their conversation, he just looked at you." said Christine which Carol approved. Joyce knew it: of course other women were interested. And as for today, Joyce always felt his blue stare burning down on her. Always looking out for her, making her feel safe … 

While the women continued their discussion and apparently only Joyce was getting a little drunk as well, the teenagers continued to play and decided to have a water battle to cool off before starting to set up the tents.   
However, at the request of the boys, the battle saw the 5 boys against the 3 girls ... it wasn't fair, so El, with the agreement of the others, went to ask Hop to come and play with them. 

"Dad?" Asked El as he approached the group of men. She was always a little shy around people she didn't know. 

"Yes, Jane?" Asked Hopper, all focus on El now. 

"We were gonna have a water fight, girl against boy... but we're missing two people. Since you're an adult, we figured you could be on my team with Max and Robin? You'll count for two" 

Hopper didn't hesitate for a second to leave the boring conversation and agreed. He put down his beer and headed straight for the field. He was greeted by the other kids who thanked and teased him. 

"Okay guys, let's set up the rules," Hopper said as he stood in the middle of the kids. He ducked down and Dustin and Lucas explained the rules. 

"Sooooo Water fight. Girls and the Chief, against the boys. One gun per person, one round of ammunition. If you get hit, you're out. The whole field is here. Not allowed to go in the woods. First one to cheat, immediate disqualification. Last person alive wins the whole team. Special mention for El, not allowed to use your mind. Question?" The rules were clear for everyone and each members of the team went back to their camp. 

Everyone had taken a gun and filled it with water from Holly's pool. The girls and the Chief had established a strategy: attract the boys and the Chief would aim at them from his post, while the boys decided to go for it. 

As the strategies were established on each side of the field, Joyce, Jonathan and Nancy laughed at the turn of the late afternoon knowing full well how it would end ... They began to bring towels as the battle began. 

Hopper was lying on the ground and was camouflaged by the shrubs.  
The first to be hit was Mike, falling directly into El's trap, as did Lucas with Max. They didn't even last 30 seconds.   
Then Steve managed to hit Robin, and while he was congratulating himself on her elimination, he was hit directly by El and Max who had aimed at his head. Seeing Steve's head completely baffled, Dustin laughed, which Hopper didn't miss because, distracted, Dustin didn't see the Chief also aimed him in the face. To this new reaction, Max collapsed laughing, and Will succeeded in touching Max but also El who was laughing. Will, small and frail, managed to dodge all the Chief's shots, and the others decided to help Will.  
Finally, the game ended in a giant water battle between all the participants, forgetting all the rules established beforehand. Some of the adults at the barbecue got a little wet, Jonathan and Nancy got a little wet, and Joyce congratulated Will on his little performance. 

Finally, after many minutes, the Chief and the kids got wet from head to toe. They went to dry off, and Hopper grabbed the towel Joyce was handing him. When he dried himself, he didn't see that Joyce was looking at him: his white shirt had become transparent, leaving no room for imagination, and Joyce was enjoying looking at him. A lot. 

As soon as the children finished, the adults started handing out hot dogs and hamburgers and everyone started eating. All the children, along with Robin, Steve, and Nancy and Jonathan who had joined them, sat in the grass and ate together. The husbands had joined their wives and Joyce decided to join Hopper who had sat on a lawn chair, quite far away, with the towel still around his shoulders. 

"Hi Hop" Joyce said as she sat down next to him on the deckchair. He replied with a smile. A little silence fell as they continued to eat and finally Joyce started to talk: 

"So... how's it going with Robin?"

"Well, I wasn't expecting it at all. As much as Max spends her days and nights at our house, she practically has all her stuff here. It came naturally and gradually. But the arrival of Robin... I didn't expect it." 

"What's wrong with her parents?" Joyce seams preoccupied by the teens' life too. 

"She told me they kicked her out and she ended up at Steve's. But her parents found out, and eventually... yeah, she lives with us now."

"One more girl," said Joyce, smiling. 

"Yes... well, now there's Steve too. El is so happy to have so many siblings." Joyce laughed. Hopper smiled at her and explained in more detail how he had come to practically adopt those three kids. Joyce looked at him with passion. He looked really happy. But suddenly he stopped at his explanations and looked away. 

"And thinking that a while ago I didn't want to have any contact with anyone, the idea of having another child repulses me. I was so close to put and end of my life, I don't even know how I was getting through the day... well, with alcohol and drugs sure," Joyce cut him off and put her hand on his forearm: 

"You deserve all this, Hop. You're an amazing person and a great father. You're acting like their father and they're lucky to have you. And if all these kids, even my own, turn to you every time they have a problem, and I assure, it's for a reason". Hopper looked at her with tears in his eyes and thanked her sincerely. He put his hand on hers, which was on her arm, and stroked it with his thumb. They were in their bubble, eye to eye, and their emotions were palpable. And … 

But they were cut off by El: 

"Dad! Will you help us set up the tents?" So Hopper looked away to his daughter who was calling him from across the field. Joyce gave him a "I told you so" look. They smiled and Hopper thanked her again, got up from the chair and walked over to the kids. Joyce watched him leave and finally decided to join the adults and finish her drink. She kept asking herself, "If El hadn't interrupted us...?" 

The time to leave approached so close that everyone had left, Ted was in bed, Karen was barely sleeping against the table and Nancy and Jonathan had helped him up to bed.   
"Joyce"? There's no way you're taking the car in your condition," Hopper said. Yes, Joyce could take the car, but with the alcohol and fatigue, you never know...   
But there was no room left in the Wheeler house, so Hopper suggested that she sleep at his place: after all, he was going home alone tonight. 

"Take care guys, and if there's any trouble, you call me?" Hopper then asked that he put his jacket back on his shoulders. The plan was for El and Max to stay with the Wheelers in the tents. El and Max together, the other 4 boys in another, and finally, Robin and Steve also shared a tent. Jonathan and Nancy would occupy the young adult's room. 

"Yes Daaad" joked Steve. He continued: "I swear if there's any problem with El or Max or Robin, I swear I'll call you, Scout's honor." 

"You're not even a Scout," Dustin recalled, and he got a little pat on the back of the head. Hopper laughed and said he could leave peacefully. 

Hopper and Joyce wished the children a good night, Joyce lingered more with Will, and Hopper with El, and finally Hopper presented his arm to Joyce and she took it. And they walked off on foot towards Hopper's house.   
It was a short walk in pleasant silence. Night had long since fallen, and the heat of the day was soon replaced by the coolness of the night. Hopper, like a good gentleman, gave Joyce his jacket... 

Arriving at Hopper's house... 

"Will you sleep in my room? The kids' rooms aren't in such good shape. Believe me when I tell you I'm waging war on them to keep them tidy."... He said as she was putting her jacket back on and putting her bag down at the door and he was dropping off her things. 

"They're just Hop kids... thank you."   
Joyce was so tired that she wasn't even fighting him for giving her her room for the night. He offered her a nightcap, which she refused, she was very tired. 

"Hopper wished her a good night and kissed her on the cheek as he walked her to her room. He took her pajama pants and let her slip into his sheets. 

That night, Joyce had been sleeping beautifully for a long time, the smell of Hopper enveloped her and kept her safe from nightmares.


End file.
